Gas cock



Jan. 7, 1936. E, E, E'U Y Re. 19,810

' GAS cocx Original Filed July 5, 1934 EL/ EHEE M 5115 y as... Jan. 7,1936 p R 19,819

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS coon Eugene E. Meusy, Milwaukee, Wis.,assignor to Milwaukee Gas Specialty Company, Milwaukee, '15., acorporation of Wisconsin Original No. 1,996,164, dated April 2, 1935,Serial No. 733,829, July 5, 1934. Application for reissue November 11,1935, Serial No. 49,318

4 Claims. (Cl. 287-53) This invention relates to improvements in gasthreaded inlet end 6 connectible to a stringer cocks and refers moreparticularly to the attach pipe and an outlet provided with a dischargement of handles to their valve stems. let I. As is customary, the bodyof the gas cock Heretofore, the handles were generally secured has atapered bore 8 communicating with the into the valve stems of gas cocksby means of translet end 6 and the discharge jet 1, and receiving 5verse screws, which by reason of the necessarily therein a tapered plug9. small dimensions of the stems had to be small. The plug 9 is securedin the tapered bore in Service men called on to service gas cocks foundany suitable manner and has an outer projectdifllculty in dealing withthese small parts and ing end or stem ill to which a handle II is 10 asa consequence much agitation for either larger secured. Idimensionedarrangements or other suitable re- To preclude relativerotation between'the hanlief developed. die and stem the outer endportion of the stem Also, the screws became loose and were often has oneside cut away or slabbed oil so that the lost in service allowing thehandles to come 011. end portion of the stem has a substantially 0- l5The problem became more acute with the reshaped cross section bounded atone side by a quirement ior affording quick removal of the flat surfacel2, and the socket l3 in the handle apron which encloses the gas cocksof modern which receives the stem is of corresponding gas ranges. crosssectional shape.

With the foregoing facts in mind, the present The D-shaped outer endportion of the stem invention has as its object to provide a novel isslit longitudinally perpendicularly to the flat 20 and simplified manneroi securing handles to surface I! to divide the same into two spacedvalve stems of gas cocks which will completely quadrant-like ,sectionsor fingers. Prior to the obviate the need for screws or other securingapplication of the handle to the stem, these means and will afford asecure connection persections are spread apart, and inasmuch as themanently free from play but at the same time stem and tapered plug isformed of hard brass 25 readily detachable. or some suitable materialhaving a considerable Another object of this invention is to providedegree of resiliency, the spaced fingers continue means for securing ahandle to a valve stem to exert an outward spring tension after thewhich is automatically operable to secure the handle is applied thereto,to thus hold the handle handle in position merely by the application ofin position. 30 the handle to the stem. In this manner the handle issecured to, the With the above and other objects in view stem in anexceedingly simple and eflicient manwhich will appear as the descriptionproceeds, ner, while at the same time quick detachment this inventionresides in the novel construction, for purposes of replacement ispermitted, and combination and arrangement of parts substanwhile thedisclosure herein is particularly di- 35 tially as hereinafter describedand more parrected to the attachment oi handles to the stems ticularlydefined by the appended claims, it being 01' gas cocks, it is apparentthat the rotatable understood that such changes in the precise emstemsof other manually operable devices may bodiment of the hereindisclosedinvention may have handles attached thereto in the same man- 40 be madeas come within the scope of the claims. ner without deviating from thespirit of the in- 40 The accompanying drawing illustrates onecomvention. plete example of the physical embodiment of the What I claimas my invention is:

invention constructed according to the best mode 1. In combination witha rotatable member so far devised for the practical application ofhaving a stem projecting therefrom and a hanthe principles thereof, andin which: die to turn-the same, a. readily detachable con- 45- Figure 1is a side elevational view of a gas nection between the handle and stemcomprising cock having a handle attached to its stem in a substantiallyD-shaped socket in the handle, accordance with this invention; and aplurality of spring fingers integral with the Figure 2 is a perspectiveview of the outer end stem and having a composite cross sectional sizeportion of the valve stem; and and shape to fit the D-shaped socket,said fingers 50 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the handle beingyieldingly spread apart toward the ends shown detached from the stem. oftheir composite D-shapeso that upon being Referring now moreparticularly to the vacsqueezed toget during e on i o the socketccmpanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates the coaction between thecurved surfaces of the the body of a conventional gas cock having a Dshap'ed socket and the fingers guides the fingers.

the stem, portion inwardly of its outer end to provide a in theirmovement produced by their tendency to spread apart to engage firmly inthe corners of the D-shaped socket and thereby provide a firm connectionentirely free from play.

2. In combination with a rotatable member having a stem projectingtherefrom and a handle to turn the same, a readily detachable connectionbetween the handle and stem comprising a substantially D-shaped socketin the handle to receive part of the projecting portion of an abutmenton the projecting stem stop limiting the insertion of the stem into thehandle, said part of the projecting stem portion outwardly of theabutment having a cross sectional size and shape to fit the D-shapedsocket in the handle, and said projecting portion of the stem being slitlongitudinally to divide substantially the entire projecting portion ofthe stem into spaced sections yieldingly spread apart in a directionsubstantially parallel to the fiat side of the D so that upon beingsqueezed together during insertion of said stem end portion into thesocket, the tendency of the fingers to spread apart acting inconjunction with the guiding effect of the curved surface to surfaceengagement between the socket and stem end portion forces the stemsections into firm engagement with the opposite corners of the D-shapedsocket to afl'ord a firm connection between the stem and handle entirelyfree from play.

3. In combination with a rotatable member having a cylindrical stemprojecting therefrom and a handle to turn the same, the outer endportion of the stem being slabbed oil to give the same a substantiallyD-shape in cross section and the handle having a correspondinglyD-shaped socket to receive the D-shaped end portion of the stem, saidstem also being slit longitudinally to divide the substantially D-shapedend portion thereof into two quadrant-like sections which are yieldinglyspread apartso that the D-shaped end portion of the stem is deformedfrom its normal cross sectional shape and so that the said sections ofthe stem are squeezed together during insertion thereof into the handlesocket and through the coaction of the curved surfaces of the stemsections and socket said sections are driven by their tendency to spreadapart into positions firmly engaging in the corners of the D-shapedsocket.

4. In combination with a rotatable member having a stem projectingtherefrom and a handle to turn the same, the handle having a socket ofnon-circular shape and comprising curved and straight walls in crosssection with opposite corners defined by meeting walls of the socket, aplurality of spring fingers integral with the stem and insertable intothe socket, said fingers having a composite non-circular cross sectionalshape comprising curved and straight walls with certain meeting wallsforming corner edges engageable in the said corners of the socket, andhaving surfaces arranged to slide on adJacent surfaces of the socket asa result of the tendency of said fingers to spread so as to guide thecorner edges of the fingers into snug engagement with said corners ofthe socket upon application of the handle to the stem.

EUGENE E. MEUSY.

